The Ultimate Price Of Loyalty
by mrsspecialk
Summary: Percy and Annabeth find themselves in a sticky situation. Someone is left in a critical state and the Olympians are still still forbidden from direct intererance, aren't they? Who will face the ultimate price of loyalty? Rated T for sadness :
1. Aaah the wonders of horse telepathy

**Hello everyone. I couldn't think of any other one-shots for my other story so I thought I'd write this instead. It starts off slow but the next chapter will get interesting.  
>Disclaimer: The event is this story are entirely my own the characters however obviously belong to Rick Riordan.<br>Warning: Character death...sort of...well read and find out! Anyway, here we go!**

Percy POV

I could tell we were losing. Honestly, you'd think after we'd won the war we'd get a break for five minutes, but no. I was still constantly attacked by monsters, but hey, when you're a demi-god, you get used to it. Not sure that's a good thing though...

Anyway, me and Annabeth (yes my gorgeous girlfriend) were currently walking round Foley Square as Annabeth liked the architecture in the city and we were currently looking at the Courthouse and I almost thought we could have a date that wouldn't result in a near death experience.

But no.

As always, the fates outdid themselves finding a monster to send us. Heaven forbid we ever have a quiet moment alone.

I mean honestly, we couldn't stay at camp because we would never get any privacy and Chiron had banned Annabeth from being in my cabin for more than 5 minutes after he walked in at an awkward moment (I still argue that since we're dating, making out is acceptable...Chiron didn't agree) and as a result we have to leave camp half blood to get away from all the prying eyes. This means, instead of campers we deal with monsters.

Anyway. There were a couple of hellhounds after us but Annabeth didn't have her armour on otherwise they wouldn't have had much of a problem. They had retreated into an alley to get them away from mortals but they had restricted their mobility. Things were starting to seem considerably worse.

Third person

Annabeth realised they had to get out of there. She took a calculated risk and threw he dagger at one of the approaching hellhounds. It dissolved on impact and startled the others giving Annabeth the time to grab Percy's hand and run. The hellhounds had the advantage as they were able to shadow travel and chase them faster.

Every time they stopped for a breather thinking they'd lost them, they would appear from the shadows again and the running would commence. Percy couldn't believe it when it they reached the river and he saw the sun setting. They'd run so far. They were quite close to the Brooklyn Bridge.

"Crap" he heard Annabeth murmur.

"What?" He asked, looking around for monsters.

"No. We have to get back to camp for tomorrow. Remember? Our parents are coming for the monthly Parents day." Percy had completely forgotten.

After he made his wish after the war, the Olympians and other gods would come and spend one day a month with their kids. The half-bloods loved it and even the gods were grateful, if not reluctantly, that Percy had given them this opportunity. Percy couldn't miss this. He'd be gutted if he missed seeing his dad and Annabeth was desperate to talk to her mum about some of the designs for Olympus.

"No, I can't miss my dad, and besides Hermes owes m money from the last parent's day." Chiron had beaten Hermes at Pinochle and now owed the old centaur 15 drachmas. He'd promised to give Percy the money he borrowed back...three weeks ago.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at Percy's antics before turning her mind to the task at hand. She found herself stumped and couldn't think of a way to get home before tomorrow in the dark. She didn't want to get on a bus and risk more lives of mortals if the hellhounds decided to make another appearance. She also didn't fancy risking sitting next to some drunk- sometimes humans could be the worst monsters.

Of course Percy would never let anything happen to her but celestial bronze would do nothing to mortals. Still... she figured she could still intimidate someone with her knife.

She gasped. She'd left her knife in the alley. One: she was now defenceless and would have to rely on Percy for protection. This would be tricky against multiple attackers and although she knew his capabilities better than anyone else, she also knew his limits, and even he would struggle in that situation. Two: That was the last thing she had of Luke's...how could she threw it away.

She forced herself to think positively. They would retrieve it later. No one would find it in that alley.

Percy surprised her with coming up with a solution. "How's about I give Blackjack a call. I can get a good echo from here."

"He'd be able to hear you from cam half blood?" She asked, impressed despite herself.

"Yeah, I can't describe it. It like I have an empathy link with a horse or Pegasus, providing I contact them a lot." Percy frowned. "I'm not sure how it works. He can tell if I need him or not. I call another but I'm just not as close to the others as I am with him. Yeah I'm friends with Porkpie and Guido, but Blackjack is like one of my best friends now." Annabeth smiled at his words. She knew they were close. It annoyed her when they just stood and stared at each other, obviously having a conversation. She hated not knowing.

Sometimes, Percy wouldn't even realise they were talking in his head and would look at her confused when she asked to be included, not realising she wouldn't have heard any of it. "Alright then," she said, thinking she couldn't come up with a better idea, "call him."

Percy smiled before concentrating hard. He gave a loud high pitched taxi whistle. He tried to concentrate on letting the Pegasus hear how much he needed him through his thoughts, just like he did with Grover through the empathy link. He couldn't have explained it, but he knew somewhere Blackjack had just taken off and was coming for them.

"Umm, Percy," Annabeth asked timidly. "How long will Blackjack be?"

"Knowing him? About 20 minutes. He can never do anything fast enough for me." He replied.

"Okay. That's a problem." Annabeth calmly stated.

"Why?"

"Because we don't have that long." Percy turned to follow her gaze.

He recognised the accent before the owner of it.

"_Hello Perseus Jackson." _French.

Crap.

Manticore.

**So did you like it? Sorry if it's a bit boring at the moment but it will get better. Will Blackjack get there in time? Will Annabeth once again be taken hostage by Dr Thorn? And what will the price of loyalty be? Tragedy will ensue... or will there be a happy ever after? Will Hermes EVER repay Percy? And where does Blackjack come into this story?**

Review and find out! This voices in my head want reviews. If they don't get any, they'll stop talking to me. And we'll never know the answer to any of these questions!


	2. A Sacrifice is Made

**Well here's the second chapter. If you think the fighting scene is to long just tell me and I'll edit it. You have any ideas, then I'm happy to hear them.  
>Disclaimer: ditto on the last chapter <strong>

**Anyway on with the story!**

Percy immediately put himself between Annabeth and the Manticore, knowing she was pretty much defenceless. Flashes of Westover Hall kept haunting him and he wouldn't let it happen again.

"Hah. You seek to defend the girl. How about a deal? See, I only want revenge on you for your part in my demise just over a year and a half ago. She tells me your Achilles heel, and she goes free. You stay. You fight. And you die. Sound fair?" The Manticore grinned and Percy knew the situation was now critical. He found himself tempted to take the offer.

He was invincible now, unlike last time. But the Manticore was notorious for his excellent aim with his tail. If he knew where Percy's weak spot was, what chance did he stand without armour to cover his back?

Before Percy had time to reply a voice from behind him shouted, "Like hell I will!" Sometimes Annabeth's short temper came in handy in tight situations. This was not one of the situations. He focused on bringing blackjack to them. He was their only chance.

Percy knew he'd be forced to fight before he arrived though. The only warning he got was a cocky and angry smile from the Manticore.

Dr Thorn lunged.

He'd gotten better with a weapon, Percy couldn't deny, but this meant he now to fight him with a sword whilst keeping an eye on the tail flicking poison covered thorns at Annabeth. She was fast though, and was able to predict when he was going to throw.

Percy was ducking and parrying the blows but he couldn't keep up the pace. It would only take one wrong move from him or one miscalculated doge from Annabeth and it was game over. If Dr Thorn had Percy, he knew Annabeth would co-operate and vice versa.

Percy concentrated of the river but Dr Thorn wouldn't let him get to close to the water.

Thump. Percy landed on his back. The tail had caught him round the back of the leg and downed him long enough for Dr Thorn to attack Annabeth. She evaded his first spike but the second caught her thigh. She dropped like a stone and cried out in pain as the poison registered with her body.

From previous experiences Percy knew the poison wouldn't kill her but the fact that the Manticore had even dared to attack her while she was weaponless, was enough to make Percy see red.

Percy fought with a renewed energy and he saw Thorn's confidence waver. He called on the river and it came to him. The water coiled around his legs and started dragging him back to the river.

Dr Thorn was now frantically grabbing onto anything but nothing was strong enough to stop him being pulled to his death; he made one last desperate lunge and grabbed not Percy but Annabeth.

Annabeth used her ever draining strength to kick Dr Thorn off with her good leg though it was clear the effort exhausted her. Percy ran towards them after stopping the water when Thorn grabbed his girlfriend.

Annabeth collapsed again. She knew Thorn would reach her before Percy would. She looked towards the bridge and saw a dark shape in the distance. She could make out the wings and the galloping legs before she passed out completely.

Thorn grabbed her unconscious body and held her over the edge of the river bank which was very high in this area. Percy stopped in his tracks.

"Now," Dr Thorn panted, trying to regain his breath. "Let's be civilised. You tell me your mortal spot, and I release the girl.

Percy knew Thorn would never let her go like that but he felt he had no choice. He opened his mouth to answer but stopped when he saw the outline of a dark pegusus flying towards them as fast as the wind could carry him.

Dr Thorn raised an eyebrow at Percy's hesitation, not realising that the reason for his silence was the arrival of his friend. "So," he began. "You value your life over your friends? Very well."

Only then did Percy, realise what the Manticore meant and that he had hesitated in his answer. His scream could be heard for miles as Thorn dropped Annabeth over the side. Even if she was conscious, she wouldn't have been able to swim with her leg in the state it was.

She would drown!

He tried getting past Thorn to the water's edge. He would definitely be able to save them both if he could get in the river. Maybe he could even heal her leg. But Dr Thorn kept anticipating his moves and blocking him.

_Catch her! _He thought.

He saw Blackjack dive and was grateful Thorn still hadn't noticed him.

Blackjack heard Percy's plea and folded his wings. He caught the girl before she hit the water but her momentum and weight caught him off guard. He swerved to avoid the water but instead hit his wing on the side of bank. 

Pain shot up the left side of his body but he willed himself to stay airborne. He heard Percy fighting and had seen how desperate the situation was. If he could just get to Percy they'd all be fine. He flapped is left wing experimentally and regretted it immediately. He knew he wouldn't be flying anywhere for a while after this.

Still, he ignored the pain flew upwards, balancing Annabeth on his back. He wouldn't be able to make another dive like that in his condition.

He saw Percy fighting again ad knew the young hero would be on the verge of collapse himself. He had been running and fighting for hours now. He swooped do carefully ready to lash out at the monster.

He caught the Manticore off guard and reared his front legs up_. Yo boss. Hurry up and let's get going. I don't think this guy likes us very much._

Percy climbed quickly onto his friends back. H hadn't seen the earlier incident or he wouldn't have done so, nor did he notice the funny angle blackjacks wing was set at.

It was now Blackjack recognised the monster from the myths.

_Uh oh._

He galloped away, seeing as he couldn't take off quickly enough with his wing like this. He planned to jump off the edge and glide before starting any actual flying.

Blackjack had never told anyone, not even Percy, but he knew where the hero's Achilles heel was. He hadn't meant to find out and if he could erase t from his memory he would have, but he had unwilling heard Percy thinking about it and hadn't been able to ignore his thoughts. Percy obviously hadn't realised this seeing as as a general rule, his head was a private place.

Blackjack turned to see Dr Thorn aiming at them. More importantly their backs. Percy's back. He jumped into the air but knew the aim had been perfect.

Percy realised what was happening when Blackjack folded his right wing forgetting his injury. His body swung around as he lost control in the air and made one last effort to protect Percy.

He put himself between the poisoned thorn and the passengers on his back.

If he hadn't, it would have hit have hit Percy's back. If it by some miracle missed Percy, it would hit Annabeth, and while one may not kill her, two would be too much for her body to cope with.

He let out a strange strangled noise as the thorn pierced his side.

Percy became fully aware of what had just happened as he went into shock.

_Noooo, Blackjack!_

Blackjack said (or thought) absolutely nothing. His mind was blank as he concentrated on getting the demi-gods to camp, but he could no longer simply ignore the pain. He was in serious trouble and he knew it.

He heard Percy shouting to put them down but he carried on speeding through the air. He did want to get his friends to safety, but he also knew that if he landed. He wouldn't fly again. He needed to get to camp half blood.

The poison alone would kill him but he could have fought it for at least a couple of hours. It was the wound that had broken and pierced his ribcage that was killing him.

Percy didn't stop trying to persuade him to land but it was an hour before he could reply to any thought or question made by the boy.

I can't land boss. Please. I simply can't.

Percy was immediately silent. Blackjack was always so upbeat about things, and he could almost feel the burn of the poison through the horse's thoughts.

Tears ran down his face but he said no more. He Held tightly to Annabeth so the Pegasus no longer had to worry about balancing her wait out and for that he was grateful. He said a silent thank you Percy and went back to focusing himself. His eyesight was fading now, though he was sure it should be getting lighter as the sun would be coming up soon.

It was well into the early hours of the morning when long island came into sight. Percy had been wide awake throughout the journey but for the first time Annabeth began to stir.

Within half an hour the sun had completely risen and camp was distantly insight. A surge of relief passed through Percy who had prayed to every god he could think of that Blackjack would be okay and they'd make it to camp safely. He saw dozens of kids out side and realised the gods had arrived.

He heard someone shout and realised that they were searching for them. Chiron must have only just realised they had returned last night. After all, they often stayed out late in the city when they were on a date. But they never stayed out the whole night without informing the activities director.

A worryingly small voice said in his head, _Brace yourself_.

He steadied himself and Annabeth for the inevitable crash.

Percy supported Annabeth neck as they crashed; using his invincible body to prevent her hitting the ground directly. He could have cried at the thought of what was going to happen to his friend. There really wasn't anything he could do to help Blackjack in this crash and he was just too exhausted to think of a way.

Cries went up as pegusi and demi-god hit the ground and toppled over one another. His ADHD registered the shouts of his father and Athena before the pain set in.

He found himself being hoisted up by hundred of campers, who gasped when they saw the state he was in. His clothes were ripped, his eyes were dark, his face was deathly pale and he look like he would drop any minute. Even his father looked shocked at his condition.

"Percy...what...you look..." Poseidon found he couldn't find any words to say as he was still in shock. This wasn't how he'd planned to start parent's day.

When people realise Percy was not physically or life threateningly injured, the attention turned to the half-blood in need of serious treatment.

Percy knew Annabeth would be fine and for a moment he allowed his father and Grover to lead him to the infirmary while Will Solace checked Annabeth's condition.

Percy stopped and gasped as he realised in the chaos, he'd completely forgotten about Blackjack! After all he'd done and Percy had nearly left him. He turned to see him being supported by two other pegusi and helped into the stable.

Ignoring the protests behind him, Percy ran into the stables. He stopped short when he saw Blackjack lying on some hay in the centre of the stables.

He wasn't moving.

**Don't worry people! Blackjack isn't dead..yet. Can Percy save him? Will Annabeth recover fully? How will their parents react when they hear what's happened? Percy will have to make a choice. But things are never simple for the son of the Sea God.**

**REVIEW! PLEASE THE VOICES AND REVIEW!**


	3. Wait With Me Please?

"No no no NO!"

He is not dead, and he is not going to die! I won't let that happen! He thought, wishing he could do something to help his friend. But he didn't understand. Blackjack hadn't been injured that badly; the Manticore's poison wouldn't kill him... would it?

Percy was still unaware of Blackjacks other injures and had forgotten that the wound would be doing more harm than the poison. In fairness to him, he hadn't slept in 36 hours so he figured he could be let off for his slowness.

Slowly, he approached Blackjack, weaving through the other pegusi that had gathered around him.

Percy could hear their minds whispering but they were mostly in shock. After all, Blackjack was almost there unofficial leader. He had survived a year on the Princess Andromeda and made a big contribution to the war. He was basically the biggest hero of the equestrian world, which wasn't necessarily saying much in human terms, but his bravery was unheard of to his kind. They were easily scared and happy to obey almost any master- providing said master didn't kick them in the sides too often.

Percy knelt gently by his friends head, careful not to disturb him. He felt a flourish of hope when Blackjack nuzzled his leg slightly, but mentally felt the horse wince at the simple act of doing so.

_Yo boss. So what's on the agenda for tomorrow then, eh?_ He attempted to sound strong but somehow his bravado just made him look all the weaker.

"Shh. Just rest, you've done more than I could have ever asked of you. You don't have to be strong for me." Percy said as soothingly as he could. "You'll be up and going in no time, I'll make sure of it."

Blackjack mentally chuckled softly_. I dunno boss. That monster wasn't particularly fond of me._

"Blackjack! This is serious!"

_Boss...maybe you should leave. Go check on Annabeth or have a lie down..._

"Don't call me boss! And I'm not leaving you. Porkpie, will you fetch Chiron? Get him to come here so he can take a look at that wound."

Nobody moved.

"Porkpie...?"

_Erm, Percy, _the white Pegasus_ thought, I don't know what Chiron can do for him... Have you looked at his wounds properly?_

Percy inspected the wound closely. It was now he realised just how deep it was and he began to see the full extent of Blackjacks condition. As he took in the image of his friend, it was now he spotted the broken wing.

"When..."

_Apparently walls like me about as much as your friend Thorn_, Blackjack joked.

Percy jumped up realising Blackjacks injuries were far worse than either his or Annabeth's. He ran towards the door but was stopped by a small voice.

_Wait. Just stay here and wait with me. Please?_

_Percy_, Guido started gently, _the poisons at his heart. Wait with him. Please. Even you can't help him now. Be strong son of Poseidon. Strong for your friend._

Percy's eyes stung with tears but he slowly returned to his spot on the ground among the other Pegusi. Despite Blackjack's effort to hold them back, his memories of everything that had happened flooded back.

Percy now saw how Blackjack had broken his wing, but worse yet he found out what had happened with the spike and how black had put himself between it and Percy. He knew. He knew about Percy's weakness.

And right now, he couldn't have cared less.

"You saved me.! His voice barely above a whisper. "You saved my life..."

Blackjack remained silent. Strangely, the pain was numbing now and not as sharp as it had been. He simply couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.

"But I don't understand. The poison doesn't kill it only inju-"

_Percy, you are half god. It is the power of your immortal parent that keeps your kind alive when hit. There is no godly blood in us. And no ambrosia or nectar to heal the wound._ Guido's words were painfully true and Percy knew it. He would stay with his friend...and he would wait.

For a few minutes they exchanged thoughts and memories. The first time they met (not the happiest of memories) and when Blackjack had been kidnapped by Rachel and all the fun in between.

The whole time Percy could feel his closest non-human friend (with exception of Grover) slipping away. Tears fell freely from his eyes though he rubbed them away. The other pegusi whinnied but said nothing. Just listening and offering whatever support they could give.

Finally Percy could take it no longer.

"Please. Don't leave me. I thought it was over. When the war ended I thought I could live in peace. I thought maybe...I could live a semi-normal life...and no one would have to die anymore...no one would have to die for me..." The tears fell again, but he made no effort to hide them now.

_It's okay Percy. Everyone dies. I've lived a good life without regrets and I died being loyal to my friends... I'm happy...bit sore...but happy._

_You're not dead yet._ The boy thought.

**I wasn't planning on stopping here, but life has other plans and it seems the best spot to end right now. Sorry this is so short but oh well. Don't worry about Blackjack. This may or may not help, but I do love confusing people so; do have animals have mortal souls like demi-gods?**

**Well there's you tiny not-so-helpful hint as to what is in store for later chapters.**

**As always please review. They do make for good motives to update faster!**


	4. Blackjacks gone

**This will be sad but I have a lot more planned so bare with me.  
>Disclaimer: What the heck do you think?<strong>

Percy lay beside his friend's body and comforted him as his breathing became more and more shallow.

He wouldn't last much longer but he carried on making jokes about whatever came to mind. Anything to make his loved ones feel better.

There was no denying it. Blackjack felt scared. He wasn't sure what lay ahead for him. There was no underworld for him to go to. He supposed he would be reincarnated and he hoped it would be something that lived in the ocean. He was of course loyal to Poseidon-his creator- but he knew his chances of getting to be a Pegasus twice in a row were slim, so he figured a fish would be the next best thing.

Maybe he would get to see Percy again that way, but he didn't know if he'd remember this life. And it made him sad.

As his body grew weaker, his fears lessened. There was nothing he could do. Just wait and see how fate played out.

Percy felt Blackjacks change in attitude. He was almost determined now and that's how Percy knew it was nearly over.

_I know you'll take care of Annabeth, so just make sure you take care of yourself yeah_? The Pegasus asked.

"I will," came the quiet reply.

_Then I'm quite happy_. And Percy knew it was true.

He looked straight into Blackjacks eyes as they closed and his laboured breathing slowed to a halt.

"Goodbye." Percy choked. He no longer trusted his own voice, but he allowed all the sobs he'd been holding back to flow freely from him. He lay down and let his head rest against Blackjack's side.

He didn't remember falling asleep but it was dark when he woke up. Porkpie stirred next to him.

_My lord_, he started_, There have been voices calling out for you for a couple of hours now. I let you sleep but you must return to the big house. Chiron isn't at all pleased, neither is Thalia or Nico. Annabeth is still in the infirmary._

_Thalia's here?_

_Yes my lord, from what I've overheard, she came straight here as soon as she heard Annabeth had been injured. She must be worried about you too. _

"And no one thought o look in here?"

_No Perseus. Most people prefer to stay away from the stables lest they be asked to clean them._

_Only one came in here_, Another said.

"Who?"

Pause

_Your father, said Guido softly. He wouldn't make you leave but he said to tell you to return as soon as you were ready. I think he wanted to stay and comfort you but he knew you wouldn't want to be disturbed after Blackjack..._ He trailed off, holding back his own grief.

Percy was momentarily surprised by this but sent a prayer of thanks to his father.

He looked at his friend's lifeless body and felt new tears fall down his face. He wiped them away quickly. _What will you do with his...body?,_ he silently asked.

_Whatever our owners decide my lord. But..._

"But what?"

_Well, when we die, we all have one last wish, but it never really happens. In the old days our bodies were burned as a sacrifice to the gods, but we have always wished to have our bodies place I the ocean when we are gone. To return from the place we came from..._

"Well," Percy started, "I think Blackjack has sacrificed enough. I will make sure that it will be so if that's what he really wanted."

_It is-...it was my lord. Thank you._

Percy collected himself before standing tall. He didn't know how he was able to push his guilt and hurt away but he figured he was still in shock. He half expected to wake up from this terrible nightmare anytime now. He'd go to breakfast as normal and see his father. He'd then resume his usual activities, maybe Pegasus riding, and great Black jack as he usually did.

But this wasn't a nightmare. And there was no waking up.

He walked towards the door, leaving the pegusi to mourn for their loss in peace. He turned around for the last time. "And guys," he said quietly. "Please drop the formal stuff. Call me Percy."

With that he left. It was quite cold outside but that didn't bother him too much. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was 8:15pm. Parent's day would be over in an hour and 15 minutes. He found the strength to walk towards the infirmary, where he knew everyone would be gathered. His friends wouldn't have left Annabeth's side until she was absolutely fine.

He could hear chatting from down the hall and realised his father wouldn't have told anyone in case they disturbed him in the stables. Once again he was very grateful.

He stopped for a moment before he opened the door. He stood in the doorway and he could see who was there; he saw Clarisse, Athena and Thalia beside Annabeth's bed she lay in; Chiron stood at the end of it looking still a tad concerned but mostly relieved; Apollo sat in a corner in conversation with Nico and his Dad while Hermes tried to knick the keys to his sun chariot from his pocket. Thalia was the first to notice him.

"You!" She shouted. "Where the hell've you been? Annabeth's been extremely sick and you just wondered off." He wanted to stop her but Thalia was on a roll, her worry for him turning into anger that e had disappeared in the first place. "We've been searching everywhere. The entire camp had wasted parent's day to look for you and you think you can just saunter in here and-"

"Thalia, please." Thalia probably wouldn't have said as much if she could have seen the state of her friend properly but due to the dim light this she couldn't. Chiron's warning silenced her though and she sat down but continued to glare at her. Clarisse however, was never very good at doing what she was told0 unless it was of course in battle.

"Chiron, he's been sooo selfish. He should've been here by Annabeth's side but no! He decided to shove off, the one time he's ever been wanted around here, he naturally pissed off!"

"Clarisse, let Percy speak," Nico's voice was quiet but commanding. "You can't know what he's been through." Nico could sense some sort of death, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. (**A/N: he can only sense mortal souls**).

Poseidon stayed quiet knowing his son wouldn't want his interference but he was fuming on the inside and found himself liking the Hades kid more and more.

Percy also stayed silent, not knowing what to say. He also couldn't say it out loud but he knew they had to know- Annabeth especially.

Mr D strolled in having been told by someone Percy had been seen going to the infirmary. Unlike everyone else (not including Poseidon) he was aware of what had happened. Underneath his uncaring facade, he was quite a kind god who only resented demi-gods because of one specific son of Poseidon that had lived a long time ago. But Percy had shown him they were heroes and earned his respect, though he would never admit it. Mr D was in fact a softy. He had always noticed the small things and knew how important an individual was. That is why he was the only person other than Percy who had seen Blackjack retreat to the stables and know what had happened.

"Come in boy."

Percy stepped into the light of the room, and people gasped as they took in his appearance. His hair was a mess, his clothes were shredded, his eyes were swollen from crying and his face was pale from grief and his current condition.

Annabeth stared at him wide eyed and he locked his gaze with hers.

Thalia already looked guilty but said nothing.

Hermes –who had sat silently for once through the commotion- had always had a soft spot for Percy after the war and he also looked shocked but managed to say, "Percy, what on earth-"

He cut himself off as Percy ran to Annabeth and lay on the bed crying into her shoulder. It jolted her back into reality but she was still more than a little surprised.

The rest of them just sat and stared. Apart from Annabeth, Chiron and Poseidon, no one had ever seen him cry before. He was always the strong one and was very good at hiding his feelings, but once again his tiredness had got the better of him and he let it all out.

Annabeth's face got paler as he whispered in her ear. The others strained to hear what he was saying to no avail, but Annabeth would never forget those words for as long as she lived. The utter pain in them alone made her want to cry. They sounded in her head repeatedly as she tried to understand what he'd said.

"He's gone Annabeth. He's gone and it my fault. Blackjack's dead."

**Hahaha! I'm evil, leaving it on a cliff hanger. Don't worry PJO fans! I'm not finished yet. There are more twists and turns to come so stay with me! Please! I beg of you!**

**If you love Blackjack and want to hear more about him them you have to review!**

**It only takes a few moments!****J****ust hit the little blue button!**


	5. A Funeral of Sorts

**A/N: Well, eh...hey there...i sorta took...a year...off...pffft... yeah...got no excuses to be honest. I left that story on a bit of a cliff hanger so my bad about that. You see, I developed a most horrific disease know as writers-block-itis, common to this site and easy to catch if a story is not well planned out. I can only hope that you and camp half blood will forgive me.**

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I own everything. The plot, the characters and the setting...at least if my plan for world domination goes to accord I will...but until then...damn you Rick.<p>

Despite his protest that he was in fact fine, Percy was forced to sit still in the infirmary while Will Solace did a check on him. It was only ten minutes until the gods had to take their leave so they had left to say farewell to their other children but naturally, Poseidon stayed put.

Normally Percy would have refused point blank to sit still (his ADHD had its uses, this was not one of them) but he just didn't have the energy. He'd slept for an hour but woke up when Thalia was saying goodbye. She planned to find Artemis and ask for a few days at camp so she could be certain of Annabeth's recovery.

Everyone knew that she was just as worried about Percy though, and she had seen firsthand the effects of his fatal flaw and what happened when he failed a friend- she couldn't help but be reminded of the incident with the defective Talos. With any luck she would be back within a day and if anyone could drag Percy out of his grief it was her-Annabeth was NOT leaving the infirmary despite her own protests- as she was known for her ability to stay strong in hard times.

Poseidon sat quietly opposite his son trying to work out Percy's current emotions but his face was completely unreadable...he didn't know his son was doing the same thing and receiving the same results.

"Missed parent's day...sorry..." Percy mumbled.

"S'okay." Came the soft reply. "Besides, I will see you next month won't I? And you know if you need anything, anything at all, you can always iris message me. But Perseus, do not blame yourself for this. Your friend made his own decisions and we have to respect them."

He was met with silence as Percy struggled for words, unsure of how to reply.

Poseidon sighed, and stood, ready to leave before he pushed his luck with Zeus by staying to long. "I will have Blackjack's body taken to the beach where it can be then returned to the ocean...as he wanted to be."

Percy's eyes shot up, and he thanked his father silently. Poseidon smiled, understanding and left for the Big House to inform Dionysus and Chiron that he was taking his leave.  
>Even now, Percy allowed himself a small smile as he took in his father's sudden departure.<p>

"Typical Dad." He murmured. It never ceased to amaze him how abruptly his father's mood could change. Looking around and seeing he was alone, Percy decided that this would be the best time to escape the confines of the infirmary especially as it seemed everyone would be at the campfire now so he could creep to his cabin unnoticed and without people pressing him for details of his latest epic fight against a monster in the world of the mortals.

As he slipped out of the building, he caught the sea breaze blowing from the beach and decided watch the funeral of sorts- after all, surely he could not feel any worse. It may even help him come to terms with his loss and give him some peace in witnessing the completion of Blackjack's final wish.

Quietly, he hid behind the bushes near the beach where he had a clear view of the shore. Other pegusi had gathered and were huddle around something that Percy could not bear to look at for too long. He didn't notice his father's arrival until the pegusi moved aside swiftly.

He watched as his dad whispered something (a final blessing perhaps?) and watched as the tide was forward pulling his lost friend into the ocean. He saw the black mass dissolve into the current and soon there was nothing left.

"Don't be stupid," He berated himself, as he felt his eyes well up again. "Once was embarrassing enough. Zeus only knows what the Gods must think of me now, breaking down like that." He shook his head and inhaled deeply.

Just as he was about to move away, he heard,

"Percy."

Crap. Caught.

Turning around he met his Dad's gaze once more and despite the circumstance smiled sheepishly at being found out. Poseidon seemed to catch on to his son's line of thought and chuckled slightly, though it did not fully reach his eyes.

"Be careful Son. The Manticore is still out there and able to some damage but do not allow him to bait you into a trap, especially while you and Annabeth are in this state. I will see you soon."

And with that, the Sea God melted back into the ocean, taking the tide with him. The Pegusi dispersed quickly none saying anything to Percy. However, Porkipie turned to him and said, "What belonged to the ocean, has returned to the ocean. He is at peace...Lord..."

Percy could not bring himself to correct the Pegasus and merely nodded his head.

As he left to return to his cabin, he thought over all the things that cause the incident in New York. He decided that lack of stealth was one when it came to escaping the hellhound that started the fight. Then again he rarely used sneakiness to destroy the monsters, after all, he was more of a 'jab-it-with-a-sword-and-see-what-happens' type of fighter, which was balanced out by Annabeth's wisdom and tactics which made them such a good team.

Although this had proven he would not always be able to rely on her and decided this was something he work on to take his mind off of things for a while.

He was almost at his cabin when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Percy!"  
>Caught.<br>Again.

Yup, he thought as he turned to face his more than a little displeased mentor, he defiantly had to work on stealth.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well if you've stuck with this story, you're a truly good person. Just hit the review button and favourite. Please!  
>Hope you liked it and the next chapter should be up soon!<strong>


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